Wednesday 28 October 2009 - GLOSSY IBIS in Staffordshire - 27/10/2009

Tuesday 27th October 2009

GLOSSY IBIS at Drayton Bassett Pits, Staffordshire

An afternoon trip to the upper Tame Valley proved a success with a late Garganey still present on Fishers Mill Pit where there was also a plague of Harlequin Ladybirds - a recent colonist from Asia.  As I made my way north a pair of European Stonechat were feeding along the fence and a Grey Wagtail zipped overhead as did a small group of Lesser Redpoll.  The North Pit was a hive of activity with 185 Northern Lapwing, 69 European Golden Plover, a single winter plumaged Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper.  Wildfowl included 87 Northern Shoveler, 40 Gadwall, 90 Eurasian Wigeon, 55 Common Teal, 2 Common Pochard and 68 Tufted Duck.  A nice surprise was a Rock Pipit feeding around the scrapes with a few Starling and a small flock of Linnet.

As I headed further north towards Spoonbill Pit I noticed the 1st winter GLOSSY IBIS heading towards me, flying in from the direction of Drayton Manor Park.  The bird then circled around the area for around 20 minutes before it flew off back towards the Theme Park.  Could it be here where it spends most of its time feeding?  There is some pretty good Ibis habitat over at the park and would be a quiet refuge now that it is closed for the winter.